Greene office fielding queries
WAYNESBURG – Employees of Greene County’s Department of Economic Development will be working extra hours two days a week to assist residents with any questions or concerns regarding a proposed high-voltage power line project. Earlier this year, Allegheny Energy announced plans to construct a proposed 240-mile, $820 million, 500-kilovolt Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL), which, if approved, would run through Greene and Washington counties. The company officially filed an application last week with the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) for the proposed power line.
If approved by the PUC, the power line would consist of a 37-mile stretch that would flow electricity from a “502 Junction” substation that would be built in Mount Morris to a new “Prexy” substation in Washington County. The line also would be connected to an existing substation in Mount Storm, W.Va., and then to a Dominion Virginia Power substation in Loudoun, Va.
The proposed power line has received a great deal of opposition from local and state leaders – including the county commissioners – as well as many area residents and the grassroots organization stopthetowers.org.
Robbie Matesic, executive director of the department of economic development, announced the extended hours during the Greene County commissioners’ agenda meeting Wednesday. The department, which is located in the Fort Jackson Building on South Washington Street in Waynesburg, will be open until 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays effective immediately, Matesic said.
Matesic said the department’s hours were extended so that residents would have more time to meet with county planners and gain a better understanding of the proposed line.
“This office is geared up to help residents who may be affected by the power line gain a better understanding of how this project could impact their properties,” she said. “There is a lot of concern from area residents who want to know their legal rights in this matter. In fact, we have had 25 residents stop in and talk to us in just two days.”
Matesic said one resident recently showed her a document that she received from Allegheny Power; however, she said the document was “lacking in pertinent information.”
“The document did not have proper contact information for residents who have concerns about property acquisition and there were no provisions to help them with legal or property issues,” she said. “These residents need to be able to directly talk to someone from Allegheny Power about specific issues regarding the power line.”
The document also stated that a pre-hearing for the proposal has been scheduled before a PUC administrative law judge in Pittsburgh, but Matesic said the information pertaining to the pre-hearing was incomplete.
“It lists a time of day but the date was left blank,” she said. “It also states that anyone wishing to protest the proposal must file their protest on or before May 29; but if residents don’t know what their legal rights are, then how do they know what they’re supposed to say in their protest statement? That’s why we’re extending our hours… We want residents to gain as much knowledge about the line as possible.”
Residents with concerns regarding the project can also visit the department at any time during regular office hours Monday though Friday, Matesic said. For more information, call the department at 724-852-5300.
Allegheny Energy representatives have said the line is needed to ensure the stability of the regional power grid and the reliable flow of electricity in the region. David Neurohr, manager of external communications for the company, said the proposed line would provide much-needed power to Washington County, which has seen a dramatic residential and commercial growth over the past 10 years.
Allegheny Energy also estimated that the continual growth could cause the current lines to become overloaded as early as 2011, which could cause major problems such as blackouts, rolling blackouts and brownouts.
Both Allegheny Energy and opponents of the line have held public forums to raise awareness on both sides of the issue. The opposition stems from concerns regarding the proposed line’s impact on residents’ health and property values, as well as the environment.
Residents opposed to the power line have also claimed that the line would not provide electricity or any other benefits to the county, and that they believe the main purpose of the line is to transmit power that is inexpensively generated in the area to East Coast cities where it is sold at a high price.